Projectors..

[jellybeard999]

I was looking on an auction site today, and happened to see a projectors, so did a few searches... and found projectors for around £250 - £350...

Generally, is this the sort of going rate for projectors ? There were some HP, Compaq, Sanyo etc in there, not random no name brands... what are these likely to be like for general TV use, with a view to HDTV (1080i compaq one on there in this price range) in the future...

This is only for a small room, and would be placed 2 to 3m from the screen if that makes a difference...

I was considering a 28" ish LCD, but this seems a much better prospect for less money

Would be willing to go 2nd hand, if that gets me more for my money

 

[Radiation]

Well without seeing what models your looking at those prices sound a bit too low for anything that's going to be worth getting and i doubt anything will do HD, the normal amount for a good projector even second hand would be around £500+ and for a new one you looking at £800 to £1200+ for a good one.

There's also things to consider like bulb life which is about 2000 to 3000 hours on average and they alone can cost about £200+ for a single bulb, then there's other things like how much you want to use it and if its in the day as ambient light doesn't mix well, there's some other points too so i would do a bit of research before taking any chances on a second hand one or a new one.

 

[Goatboy]

£500 or so will get you a second hand Panasonic PTAE500 with fairly low bulb usage.

Anything cheaper than that won't be able to do true HD, it might be compatible with 1080i but projectors of 1280x720 start at about £800 new.

 

[Droolinggimp]

£1500 for Optoma HD72i, free 92" screen and free ceiling mount. Thats what I got a few weeks ago. I presume that might be too much for your budget. But worth every penny. Pics here